It’s Uganda v Kenya at Africa Zone V Golf Championship
Defiant. Team Uganda enjoy a selfie moment at Nkana Golf Club during the flag raising ceremony on Tuesday.
COURTESY Photo
KAMPALA.
Like the rest, Team Uganda faced a bitter course reception on the opening day of the Africa Zone V Golf Championships in Kitwe, Zambia yesterday.
The quartet under the guise of coach Amos Kamya and manager John Katto faced the wrath of the narrow fairways and tight greens of the par-72 course at Nkana Golf Club.
However, Uganda scrapped through to the quarterfinals of the match-play competition after tallying a collective score of 321 gross to finish in sixth place on the 13-team log.
“The main features are the tiny greens all around,” Katto said of the dry course.
“It is very difficult to land and stay on.” Team captain Becca Mwanja suffered the most as evidenced by his round of 85, finishing +13.
“The par-4 and par-3’s are tough to play. It is really largely bushy and once one veers off, the best one can recover is a bogey,” Mwanja stated.
Uganda’s South Africa-based pair of Ronald Otile and Daniel Baguma returned 81 and 83 respectively.
The nation’s best was tournament debutant Denis Asaba, who finished joint-third, with two others; Zimbabwean David Amm and South Africa Kyle McClatchy after returning level-par 72.
The top eight nations will now chase the main trophy as the bottom five sides will face off for placements and tournament rankings.
Hence, Mwanja and company must up their game when Uganda meets Kenya at the quarterfinal stages of the Cup competition this morning.
Otile and Baguma are split and will square-off with familiar foes Samuel Njoroge and Edwin Mudanyi in the singles. Mwanja will pair up with teenager Asaba and exchange pleasantries with John Karichu and Alfred Nandwa in the foursomes this morning.
The side is taking a better approach to the course. “It is difficult but we’ll try to be on regulation throughout. We didn’t play to our expectations today (yesterday) but we have our eyes on the prize.” Mwanja added.
ORDER OF PLAY - DOUBLES
8.18am: Becca Mwanja & Denis Asaba
vs. John Karichu & Alfred Nandwa (KEN)
SINGLES
8:26am: Samuel Njoroge vs. Ronald Otile
8:34am: Edwin Mudanyi vs. Daniel Baguma
